U.S. & World News

NEW YORK (AP) ― Britney Spears is reportedly back in a rehab facility.

Sources tell Web site TMZ that Kevin Federline is concerned for Spears' welfare and wants her to get the help she is now seeking.

TMZ was told this will be Spears' last chance and that if she leaves rehab before getting full treatment, Federline will immediately go to court to seek full custody of their children.

Federline was due to appear at an emergency hearing in family court on Thursday morning, but it was canceled by his lawyers. No explanation was given for the cancellation.

A source told The ShowBuzz Thursday "that if the hearing was canceled it was because (Britney) went into rehab ... she has seen the light."

Spears and Federline reportedly agreed last night that he would keep their two children while she's in the program that could last 45 days.

The Web site X17 has photos of a frustrated Spears on Wednesday night. The site says she apparently got upset with the paparazzi and hit a car with a green umbrella. To see the photos, click here.

Michael Sands, a publicist for Federline's lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan, said that, "Kevin remains a focused father."

Timeline: Britney's Meltdown

On Wednesday, as Spears was checking out of rehab for the second time in a week, her estranged husband was making plans to go to court amid a custody dispute over their two children.

Federline and his lawyer were scheduled to appear at a downtown courthouse Thursday for an emergency hearing in family law court, Superior Court spokesman Allan Parachini told The Associated Press.

"Our best information is he will be here; she won't," Parachini said Wednesday. "But anything is possible."

It was not known what Federline intended to ask the court. He sought support and sole custody of Jayden James, 5 months, and Sean Preston, 17 months, after Spears moved to end their two-year marriage in November, but a temporary order issued Feb. 1 granted joint custody through this month.

Federline's lawyer will try to persuade a Superior Court commissioner that the matter is urgent enough to be handled on an expedited basis, Parachini said Wednesday.

The move came amid increasingly bizarre behavior by Spears, which culminated with her reportedly checking into and out of two rehab centers and shaving her head bald on Friday.

Spears, 25, left the Promises Malibu Treatment Center on Wednesday, according to "The Insider" TV news magazine, less than a day after arriving. The center specializes in treating drug and alcohol abuse.

Last week she reportedly sought treatment at a center in the Caribbean but also checked out after a day.

According to celebrity Web site TMZ, Spears, who had been tracked down by the paparazzi and photographed while at the center, left Promises because she "just couldn't deal with it."

In public again Wednesday, Spears attempted to keep a low profile, but TMZ posted video of her wearing a wig and leaving what it said was a lawyer's office.

The reasons behind her meltdown may be more complex than original rumors that said Spears was rebelling against her mother or simply trying to get rid of her hair, which was badly damaged from repeated hair colorings and the use of hair extensions.

OK! magazine reports that Spears engaged in a screaming match with her estranged husband, the father of her two children, who threatened to force Spears to get a hair test to determine if she had done any illegal drugs.

"They had a huge argument," a source told the magazine. "Kevin threatened Britney that he was going to have people test her hair to find out exactly what she's been up to. She was so scared. That was what made her have her head shaved."

If Spears was found to have been abusing illegal drugs, it could hurt her chances in the impending custody fight.

Us magazine, on the other hand, reports that Spears checked in to rehab after her father pleaded with her to get help while out to dinner Sunday night with his daughter at Stevie's Creole Cafe in Encino, Calif.

"Jamie just told Britney how much he loves her and that he wants her to get help," the source told Us. "He told her that he's afraid for her safety and that she needs to take a look at her life and make some major changes or everything is going to get worse. Britney listened to her father and nodded, but was very serious."

Spear's downward spiral began with the separation from Federline and many people have been wondering what exactly is behind the pop star's fall from grace.

In an interview on CBS' The Early Show, psychoanalyst Dr. Bethany Marshall talked about four reasons that can lead individuals to seek help at a rehab center.

"The first possibility is that she understands she has an addiction. Her symptoms are painful, she wants to seek treatment," Dr. Marshall told The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen. "I think that the second possibility, sometimes addicts check themselves in as a way to slow themselves down. They really don't want longterm sobriety … They want a container so that they don't go out of control."

Dr. Marshall said Spears does not seem to be exhibiting the signs of postpartum depression because a depressed person wants to isolate from the world, but Spears has been very public in her partying.

"Unless she's camouflaging the postpartum depression with some stimulant, such as methamphetamine, it's unlikely," Dr. Marshall said.

Her constant clubbing has left some wondering who was watching the kids.

"It's really not good for her divorce case having all these ridiculous things coming out," family law expert Joshua Forman said.

"The only difference between a celebrity — they are in the public eye so when they hit bottom it's for all the world to see," said Dr. Howard Samuels, executive director of the Wonderland Treatment Center.

Indeed, the world has witnessed months of Spears' heavy drinking and partying and public appearances without underwear. Celebrity blogs chronicled her every move whether she was alone or on the arms of her former best friends, party girls Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Rehabilitation experts say it was clear what was going on.

"She's had a complete emotional breakdown and she's going to have to stabilize, get sober and work on all the underlying issues that have been creating this dysfunction," Dr. Samuels said.

Spears is not the first celebrity client of Promises rehabilitation center. Ben Affleck, Robert Downey Jr., Matthew Perry, Charlie Sheen and Diana Ross also received treatment at the center, where the typical stay lasts around 45 days and costs between $40,000 and $60,000, according to the New York Daily News.

Popping in and out of rehab centers is not a smart move for someone involved in a child custody battle, said New York-based family law attorney Joshua Forman, who is not involved in Spears' case.

"That's ridiculous. Wherever you are and whatever your problem is, you go through the program the place offers and you do what they tell you to do," Forman told the AP. "Checking in and out for one day doesn't show the court anything."

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